THE STAFF OF BASTET
by deetatarant
Summary: Jack offers Ianto a difficult choice.


**THE STAFF OF BASTET: CHAPTER ONE**

**(Between 'Meat' and 'Adam' series two)**

**Re-writing The Rules. **

Ianto sighed as he scanned the list of reports that had come in from around the world. His search program had flagged up a number of news items and police and intelligence reports relating to an explosion at Berlin Airport. His keyword flags coming up with 'unknown explosive device' and 'failure of electronic security systems'. Ianto decided to print up all the documents and once done he put them into a folder that he labelled F.Y.I-On going research. He'd look at it a little later when he had more time. Right now he just wanted to get the coffee on so it was ready for when Owen and Jack got back to the Hub. Jack had already called in sounding extremely grumpy he'd been like that for days, since their blistering argument in fact.

Jack had wanted to pull Ianto off from doing field assignments. After being held at gunpoint and shot at Jack had taken him aside that very evening and suggested that Ianto stayed Hubside from then on. Ianto had been unable to believe what he was hearing, especially after Jack's ridiculous display with Gwen in front of the whole team. Ianto had also been quietly grateful that his and Jack's argument at least had been in private. It was a battle of powerful wills; shouts and snipes punctuated with long silences. Ianto was livid, he was a more than capable field agent and Jack's suggestion just felt like rejection and demotion. Ianto made it quite clear that's how he felt. At that Jack had yelled saying he was trying to protect him. Ianto responded by telling him that he had no business bringing his personal feelings toward him into work, that it was unfair on the others to show any favouritism. Respectively that he was furious at Jack's agreeing to not Retcon Rhys because it set the wrong precedence and enabled Gwen once again to get away with braking protocols that were there for all of their safety. He then asked Jack why he was shagging him and not Gwen because that was obviously what he wanted to do. Jack had slapped him so hard at that and Ianto completely stunned had walked away knowing he'd hit on the crux of the matter. He yelled at Jack over his shoulder to sort out whom he really wanted to be with before he spoke to Ianto again.

Ianto hadn't made it home that night. He'd gone straight to a bar from the Hub and gotten stupidly drunk. He woke up on Owen's couch having no idea of how he had come to be there. Owen himself having been called by a very worried Jack had apparently rescued him from a potentially dangerous situation. Owen didn't bother to ask why he was in such a state, he had just bollocked Jack the following day having seen on the CCTV that Jack had struck Ianto across the face. Jack and Ianto had not exchanged a civil word since. Gwen barely noticed and just assumed that Jack had got bored of shagging his Tea Boy, she flirted with him relentlessly anyway. Owen and Tosh did their best to stop Jack and Ianto coming into contact with one another.

Unsurprisingly Jack and Owen were arguing when they stormed into the Hub. Ianto had their coffees ready and Jack just took his with out so much as a glance at the young man. Owen sneered at Jack's back and took his coffee as well.

"Cheers Ianto."

Ianto nodded, hurt by Jack's blanking him; he guessed this was the way things were going to be from now on. He sighed.

"Gwen and Tosh are on their way in. I'll be up in the tourist office if any one needs anything."

Ianto grabbed his file and headed through the roller door, eager to get away from Jack's visual range.

Unbeknown to Ianto Jack had slumped behind his desk and turned on the CCTV link to the tourist office. He sat watching Ianto work at his desk, a deep longing weighing down in his soul.

Owen was stood in the doorway and it took Jack sometime to notice him there.

"What is it Owen?"

Owen leaned on the door jam. "What happened? Apart from the stupid stunt you pulled with Gwen that is, oh and the fact that you hit him."

Jack glared at him. "Stay out of it!"

"No Jack, I will not. It is affecting the running of this place and turning Ianto back into an anorexic."

Jack sighed and scrubbed his hands over his face. "We argued, said things we shouldn't have."

"Is this about Gwen?"

"For him it is, for me no. He's mad because I let her break the rules and he accused me of wanting to be with her."

Owen came in to the office and sat down. "You know Jack sometimes that is exactly how it looks. Tosh and I thought you were doing both of them and Ianto is right you should have Retconned Rhys. Gwen should know better than to ask you not to, but she knew you'd cave. She used you Jack. Think for one moment how that makes Ianto feel when he is the one responsible for maintaining our cover, our lies and all our secrets. As if that slap you gave him wasn't enough. You've just shown him what he does has no value or point, ergo neither does he. You owe him an apology." Owen got back to his feet. "And if you hit him again I will kill you, slowly and painfully."

Jack knew Owen was right and watched with a sour look on his face as Owen left the room. He turned back to the monitor Ianto was still working at his desk.

Ianto began sorting through his reports by spreading them out across his desk. He separated the news items from the official and the photographic and pulled out a notepad and began listing key points from each sheet. He was so engrossed with this task that he failed to notice Jack standing there in the doorway that led down to the Hub watching him. Jack finally spoke.

"Hey."

If Ianto had been startled it didn't show because he chose to ignore him.

"Ianto?" Jack stepped forward and planted both his hands down flat in the middle of the young man's papers.

Ianto sighed. "Yes, sir?" He didn't look up.

OK, so this was going to be much harder than Jack originally thought.

"Can we talk without yelling at each other?"

"That entirely depends on what you have to say." Ianto responded finally gracing Jack with a look in his general direction.

"I could start with sorry." Jack leaned over the desk a little and Ianto just glared at him through narrowed eyes.

"And would you really mean it?"

Hurt flashed across Jack's face for a brief moment, at that point Ianto didn't much care.

"You think I wouldn't?"

"To be honest Jack, I really don't know anymore." Ianto was just exhausted by the whole thing and the fact that he hadn't slept for the last three nights worrying about it.

Jack tentatively grasped his hand. "I am sorry I hurt you."

Ianto looked into his eyes, saw the sincerity there and immediately had to look away again.

"It's not enough, apologies are too easy Jack. I need your trust and your confidence in me and I don't have either."

Jack tightened his grip. "You have always had those things, from the day we met."

Ianto snatched his hand away. "Bullshit Jack! I knew it would be difficult involving myself with you, especially after Lisa and after you left us. I thought we were past all of that. Perhaps it's just best we stop, it's too complicated and your feelings for Gwen are quite clear. I'm good at my job. It is all I have that I can be certain of, do not take it away from me."

Jack wanted to reach over and hug him and somehow Ianto seemed to sense that and he backed off a pace.

"This is what worries me Yan. I see you every day the first in at 6am and rarely going home before midnight. You don't socialise with anyone, you have no friends and you never mention your family. That isn't living Ianto, that's existing. It's breaking you down from the inside out. I didn't realise it until Gwen threw whole Retcon Rhys thing back in my face. I do not want to lose you to Torchwood."

Ianto met his imploring gaze with a steely one of his own.

"My friends are all dead and my family, I want to keep them as far away from this life as possible. I was lost to Torchwood from the day I was recruited in 2003. It's the very nature of it. I made my choice Jack. Now Lisa is gone, this all I am, it defines me. I cannot share that with anyone out there, you know this. I seem to remember advising you not to involve Gwen 14 months ago because Rhys was always going to become an issue. Maybe I am wrong about that, I don't know but you cannot make allowances that could potentially put the rest of us at risk. He should never have been allowed at the warehouse and you should have Retconned him."

"I didn't shoot you after Lisa."

"You should have Jack and you know it."

"Ianto this is not Torchwood One!" Jack had to fight hard not to raise his voice.

"I'm glad it isn't. Trust me I am very relieved to be alive. But a civilian with no training has no business being out there in the field, has no business being here full stop."

"I wasn't planning on Rhys joining us anytime soon, but at least this way Gwen gets to have a life."

"I'm ecstatic for her, the rest of us, of course haven't earned that privilege obviously." Ianto snapped.

"Ianto I…."

"There's no point in my pretending that I am ok with this Jack. If you keep bending the rules how is that fair on the rest of the team? Tosh and Owen both have family out there who know nothing of their lives. You seriously need to revise the protocols or stick to your own rules and apply them to everyone."

Jack was angry; unfortunately he knew that Ianto was right. "Consider them revised. Where does that leave us?"

Ianto looked away. "There can be no us, it's blatantly obvious that it isn't going to work not with this job."

Jack rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Ianto we can work around that, we've been able to in the past."

"To what end Jack? It's not as if you love me."

"Actually I do."

The colour drained from Ianto's already pale face and Jack momentarily wondered if he were going to faint. Ianto tried to cover it with a sceptical raising of one eyebrow.

"Jack you love all of us."

"Quite true, but I'm in love with you."

Ianto held his intense look for a long time before formulating a reply.

"Then you have to keep that from getting in the way."

"So er…."

"Yes I do, more than anything."

They stared at one another unable to drag themselves away from the wells of tumultuous blue. The rest of the world had suddenly disappeared from view. Somewhere in that moment they found themselves in one another's arms, holding on so tightly that they were both hurting from it. Half an hour later and Jack finally broke the spell with great reluctance. He kissed Ianto's forehead and they drew apart, back into work mode.

"So what were you looking at?" Jack gestured at the papers.

Ianto hauled in a long breath and let it out with the first smile his face had seen in days.

"An explosion at Berlin Airport. It was flagged up by my search program and I wanted to check it wasn't 'us' related."

"Terrorists?"

Ianto shook his head. "Not sure yet. I'm going to talk to Ben at MI6, but it doesn't feel right. The name Odessa came up."

Jack frowned. "I know that name."

"You should do. Torchwood HQ had dealings with them through out the Second World War. They were based in Germany, later East Germany. They moved their operations to Brazil in the 1970s. I'm going to look into them as well. This one is just giving me a gut ache."

"Sure that wasn't me?"

Ianto offered him an apologetic look, "Just a bit. But I do think this needs looking at a bit more closely."

"Ok, keep me posted on it."

Jack gently touched his cheek, which still bore the marks where Jack had hit him.

"Don't ever let me do that to you again." Jack tenderly ran his thumb over the redness.

"I deserved it Jack. I said a terrible thing to you."

"Maybe, but that does not justify this. I am sorry."

Ianto covered Jack's hand with his own. "So am I."

**THE STAFF OF BASTET: CHAPTER TWO**

**Briefing**

"Odessa industries." Ianto began. "Founded in 1926 in Dusseldorf, Germany by Phillip Haltz and Peter Weiss. Initially an import/export firm specialising in fabric from the Far East. Offices were established in Shanghai and Tokyo in the following years, both of which closed down during the late 1930's."

Gwen was watching the slides with little interest. "How is this relevant to us Ianto?"

But Owen was immediately interested. "Odessa? The same firm that were running biological experiments on the Jews?"

Ianto nodded. "I was getting to that. Sometime during the year of 1940 Peter Weis was recruited to Torchwood under the name of David Haskell. He was based at the London office and it would seem that Torchwood at that time had no idea of his connection to Odessa, or the fact that he was working for the Nazis."

Jack was frowning now. "I remember him, nasty little man with a tick, good with numbers."

"Which is why he was recruited. He was borderline genius as far as maths was concerned, however there are no records intact to say what he was doing for the institute. I was able to find out that he was purchasing biological samples from the Russians (Probably of extra terrestrial origin) and passing them on to the Germans via Torchwood. During the war Torchwood wasn't given the sanction by the British government to research biological weapons. So Torchwood……"

"They got the Nazis to do it?"

Ianto shrugged. "I can't be certain of the details, but it is looking like it could be the case. After the incident in London during the Blitz with everyone growing gasmasks on their faces Torchwood leadership seemed to think we were more vulnerable than ever to alien attack. I guess they took matters into their own hands. However there's no evidence."

"Ianto this is all a long time ago. Gwen's question still stands, how is this relevant to us?" Jack asked.

"Fourteen days ago eight separate incidents were reported across the world of outbreaks of a highly contagious and fatal viral infection. The details are in your folder Owen. It flared, spread, and then died out as quickly as it had come. Two incidents in America, LA and Iowa respectively, one in Iceland, one in Turkey, one in Shetland, one in Queens land Australia, and two in Africa, Egypt and Nigeria. I don't understand the medical jargon, but it looks remarkably like the experiments from the 1940's. I've contacted the agencies involved and any new data on this will be emailed to you Owen. These outbreaks were all in isolated areas with the exception of the one in LA, which happened in a high security prison. 72 deaths and no survivors have been recorded so far. The UN has enforced a blanket news black out. If this turns out to be the same group of viruses that were being used during the war then they are very definitely of Alien origin. A final incident took place at Berlin airport the day before yesterday. This man…"

Ianto brought up a new slide on the plasma screen. "Sergie Ramerov from Slovakia was killed in an explosion. He was thought to be carrying samples of the virus in a specially designed containment case. He was intercepted; by who is not known because it happened just inside the customs gate and all the security feeds were knocked off line by an EMP field. The investigators found no evidence of the case he was seen to be carrying when he boarded his plane in Moscow. Ramerov was on his way to Brazil, due to pick up his connecting flight later the following day from Amsterdam. According to passport control he got on that plane but security feeds show a completely different man using his identity and presumably a false passport. Both of these men, who apparently have the same name work for Odessa. My belief is that Odessa have been testing this virus around the world selecting well chosen control groups for the experiment they were running. I'm hoping Owen that you can conform this."

"This is surely a matter for the intelligence agencies." Gwen commented.

"Quite correct. However, there is another issue. Peter Weis aka David Maskell was sighted at Berlin Airport about twenty minutes before the explosion, he's still technically a Torchwood operative and rather disconcertingly in good shape for a man of over ninety years of age."

Another image appeared. Jack's mouth dropped open in shock.

"I assume that you recognise him?"

Jack nodded. "When was this taken?"

"This morning. Ralph at MI6 contacted me when he found out I was digging into Odessa. He emailed this picture from Heathrow Airport at 6am. Aside from the fact that this man looks 60 years younger than he should…..A finger print match confirmed his identity. He boarded a flight to Buenos Aires about 2 hours ago."

"Gone home to Odessa?"

"Presumably."

Owen looked up from the pile of notes that Ianto had given to him. "Is he involved in this?"

"I'm not sure Owen. Realistically there is not much evidence but too many things seem to have popped up at the same time. There's one last thing, which I will need you to humour me on, because I think it is relevant."

"Another incident in Berlin. The theft of this artefact from a private collection." Ianto tapped the keypad on the boardroom table a final time.

"This is called……"

"The staff of Bastet." Jack stated, suddenly infinitely more interested.

"Yes, precisely. It was excavated from a site just North of Tel El Armarna in Egypt in 1917. Legend has it the bearer of the staff will attain true immortality. However the price of this is enslavement to the God of the underworld, Osiris."

Gwen's look of scepticism was bordering on insulting.

"You think this Weis bloke is immortal because he has an Egyptian thing that he nicked."

"Recovered would be a better description. It was he that dug it up in the first place whilst he was in Egypt in his university days." Ianto replied trying to ignore the rather scathing look on her face.

Jack was looking thoughtful. "It's possible, the Osirans were once one of the most powerful races in the universe."

"There is a very tentative reference to them in the archive in relation to your Doctor friend and the deaths of the Scarman brothers in the 1920's. Professor Scarman was a renowned Egyptologist and if I remember rightly Weis studied under him just after the First World War."

"So." Tosh piped up, having remained silent throughout the entire briefing. "We have a man who is immortal wondering around, a man with a suitcase full of alien bio hazardous material which one of his counterparts has already released it at pre determined points, to do what?"

Owen put down the files. "Control test run, sales demo? There could be any number of reasons. He may have just gone off the rails and Weis was ordered to shut the bloke down so he took him out at the airport and then replaced him with another man to get the stuff back to Brazil." He looked at Jack. "The nearest outbreak was in Shetland. I should go up there and check it out."

Jack nodded. "Ianto can you arrange that?"

"Yes Jack."

"What else have you got on Odessa?"

"Not much." He pushed another folder over to Jack. "Pro Nazi group, still operating as a legit business in South America. They've kept themselves well clear of any of the drug gangs and done absolutely everything traceable with in the law. I cannot find a single thing out of place. MI6 have drawn a blank as well and I am still waiting to hear back from Louise in Quantico. These outbreaks couldn't be the work of one person anyway, they happened pretty simultaneously."

"What exactly is our take on this Jack?" Tosh was looking at the sheets on the Osiran device.

"I'm not sure yet. We certainly can't do anything without the involvement from other agencies. We'll probably end up handing this over to UNIT. David Maskell is someone we have to deal with though. OK, Ianto, get Owen up to Shetland, Gwen you can go with him, interview the locals, try to find out what ever you both can and I know I do not need to tell you to be careful."

"Tosh and I will keep an eye on the Rift and things local. Ianto, keep digging, find out as much as you can, it may be useful."

**THE STAFF OF BASTET: CHAPTER THREE: OCD**

Owen had not enjoyed the jaunt up to Scotland. Aside from the extremely bumpy helicopter ride, both ways, he had never been able to understand a damn word spoken by any one North of the border in his entire life. It was like visiting another planet as far as he was concerned and should only be reserved for the freaks in the world that actually liked the countryside. Owen would never recover from his experience and he hadn't even been tenderised. Four days away from the comforts of his hi tech flat and decent coffee in the form of Ianto's special brew had driven him to snap at Gwen and spend the journey home in sulky silence, mostly because Gwen had stopped speaking to him by then. The worse thing being that he didn't learn much more from the trip in the first place. The bodies had all been incinerated, the locals hushed up and all the samples from the bodies had been conveniently miss-placed. It was quite possibly the neatest cover up job he'd ever seen. Owen was very happy to get back to Cardiff.

On arriving at the Hub he filed a long report and made copies for Jack and Ianto. Gwen did the same, not able to add much more to the data than Owen. They both went home at 2am.

Ianto had what one could consider a healthy dislike of all things with alarms attached; this included the Rift, his mobile phone and the clock that lived on his bedside cabinet. The incessant beeping that interrupted his sleep was terminated with his fist slamming down on to said alarm clock with such force that he actually broke it. Ianto groaned from under his quilt.

"Ianto?"

"Uuuuhhh."

"Ianto?" Jack tried a second time.

"Go away, sleeping." Came the muffled response.

Jack smiled fondly at the lump on the bed. "I have coffee."

"Oh, god no Jack have you been in my kitchen?" Ianto sat up his hair all standing on end.

Jack was grinning. "Hey I'm not that bad."

"Last time you nearly set fire to my cat."

"Your cat is intact, I promise. I fed him and he went out. Time for you to get fed, we need to go to work."

Ianto reluctantly hauled himself out from under the warmth of his bed covers. "Ok, look I'm moving…..Really this is me getting up."

Jack was laughing now. "You are such a contradiction Ianto Jones. How can someone so amazingly immaculate as you look like that in the mornings?"

Ianto threw a pillow at him. "I'm going for a shower, alone!" He climbed off his bed and padded off to the bathroom, wholly aware of Jack's eyes on his naked backside.

Forty minutes later and Ianto looked like a different man. His perfect veneer was back in place in the form of a charcoal wool/silk suit, pink shirt and stripy tie. Jack just smiled at him and handed him a cup of coffee and kissed his cheek.

"I see you found my Ianto in the bathroom then."

Ianto swore at him in Welsh and stood at the kitchen bench going through his morning post, which wasn't especially exciting. There was a postcard from his sister who was holidaying with her family in Spain and two bills. Ianto sighed.

"It's a sad state of affairs when the number of official letters out ways the personal ones. My Tad used to write me letters when I was away at university, people don't seem to do it any more, have you noticed?"

Jack frowned at the question. "You should have been born 60 years ago."

Ianto appeared to think about that. "I think it would have been a less complicated life. I just like letters, they're more tactile and personal than emails and texts."

He stuck the postcard on the fridge door, next to a photograph of his sister's family and one of the Torchwood team, Ianto's family.

"I wonder what Owen would write on a postcard." He mused.

Jack's eyebrows climbed into his hairline.

"I'm sure it would be a detailed description of the local bars and pulling joints."

Ianto chuckled. "You cynic Jack. You know he may just be interested in the culture…..though on second thoughts." Ianto finished his coffee. "I guess we should get going then. Owen left me message saying he's written a report from the Shetland trip."

"How are you progressing with the Odessa thing?"

Jack handed him his coat.

"I'm not. I've drawn a complete blank. Their shipping contracts are completely open. Tosh had a look into the accounts….way too easy. It's like there are two things at work, the things they want us to see….."

"And the things they don't?"

Ianto locked his front door and followed Jack to his Mini Cooper, which was parked on the street outside his house. Ianto unlocked it and wandered round to the driver's side as Jack got in the front passenger seat. Ianto's hand froze over the door handle and he shivered involuntarily. Something felt wrong. He pulled open the door and got in, the moment he sat down at the wheel he felt uncomfortable. The seat was in the wrong place it was too far back. Shit!

"Jack get out of the car. Get out now!"

Owen found Jack sitting beside Ianto's hospital bed. It was where he had been expecting to find his boss, as Jack hadn't left the room since Ianto was first put there after coming out of surgery three days previously. The bomb had exploded seconds after Ianto had yelled at Jack and Owen found himself quietly thanking God for Ianto's OCD. The young man had obviously noted that something was wrong with his car, they'd got out, and the following blast had thrown them both in opposite directions. Ianto ended up across the street and Jack in the neighbour's front garden. A lucky escape, the worst being Ianto's cracked skull and lots of cuts, bruises and one nasty burn across the Welshman's back. Jack had got off with a singed coat and a fractured wrist, now healed. Owen closed the door behind him realising that Jack was actually resting his head on the edge of Ianto's bed as the two of them talked in hushed tones. Ianto had been restricted to lying on his stomach because of the burns and he was fed up, Owen could tell. Owen was rather surprised to discover Jack's fingers wrapped tightly around Ianto's in a gesture of protective affection and obvious worry.

"Hey there, thought I'd drop by and see how you were doing." He stepped in Ianto's field of view, pleased to see the young man looking much better than he had done the previous day. Ianto was actually smiling. Owen half wondered if that was the morphine.

"M…ok Owen, thanks. Grab a chair."

Owen did so and sat down next to Jack who sat up, still holding Ianto's hand.

"The police called us this morning with the forensics results, definitely a bomb, semtex rigged to the door and positioned under the petrol tank. They'll send us a copy of the report, but it looks like the same batch of explosives that were used at Berlin Airport last week. So who the hell is targeting Ianto, I mean he's a Tea Boy." The last part was added with a grin.

"It has to be Odessa. Maybe they didn't like me digging into their affairs."

Jack sighed. "It worries me that they knew you were looking and that they knew your car. How the hell did you know Ianto?"

"Like I said, the seat was in the wrong position and as you never drive my car…."

"Only because you won't let me."

Owen was grinning. "With good reason Jack, you're bad enough in the SUV, you in a Mini? The world is so not ready for that!"

"That still doesn't explain…."

"I don't know Jack. I just knew something wasn't right. Are my family going to be in danger?"

"The police are keeping an eye on them, but I don't think they are."

"Has there been any further news on the viral out breaks?"

Owen sucked in a deep breath. "Ianto, you are supposed to be resting."

"Humour me. There's not a lot I can do lying here like this."

"I could think of a few things."

"Enough Harkness…..No nothing. The only set of path specimens that weren't lost are in LA and the FBI are having them analysed and I am awaiting the results. There have been no further outbreaks. All the other sites have been completely sanitised, there's no evidence that anything happened at all and no one is talking. Very effective clean up all round."

"That would have required official assistance, surely."

"It probably did. I still think we need to go out to Brazil and take a look at what they are doing out there."

"Only problem is that they will probably be expecting us."

"Since when was that a problem for us?" Owen demanded.

"You're not seriously going to go out there are you?" Ianto was thoroughly dismayed at the idea.

Jack squeezed his hand. "We have to, first to shut down what ever it is they are experimenting with, or planning on selling or what ever it is they are doing and secondly to retrieve the 'staff of Bastet'."

Owen was frowning. "You really think that thing is an alien device?"

"I'm certain it is and quite frankly one immortal on the planet is enough. Peter Weis has to be taken down, the only way to do that is to get hold of the staff."

"Jack, it's hardly a threat to anyone."

"No, but Peter Weis is. He's obviously involved with Odessa's work with the biological agents, may even be in charge of the operation for all we know. The evidence certainly points to that."

"So what we take down Odessa as well?"

Jack shrugged. "Let's see what happens when we get out there shall we?"

Ianto's protests fell on deaf ears. Two days later Owen and Jack boarded a flight to Brazil via LA. A week later a very worried Ianto Jones was discharged from hospital. Tosh picked him up and at his assistance drove him back to the Hub contrary to the orders of the doctor who had reluctantly signed him as fit to leave the hospital in the first place. At least Jack had brought in some help from UNIT in his and Owen's absence.

**THE STAFF OF BASTET: CHAPTER FOUR**

**The Staff of Life**

They had been gone for more than four weeks. Jack and Owen were both overjoyed to be walking across the Plas toward the Hub. They were both looking a little the worse for wear. Owen was a bit thinner, if that were at all possible and they had a very unkept look and smell about them. Tosh greeted them with hugs and Gwen practically threw herself at Jack planting kisses on his cheeks and grabbing at his hands like she hadn't seen him for months. The two women over whelmed them with questions and finally Tosh broke away to give them some space. Owen headed down to the locker room for a shower and a change of clothes. Jack went to his office with Gwen hot on his heels. He was not happy to be followed but he humoured her.

"So what happened out there Jack?"

He was glancing around his space with a look of worry on his face.

"We'll brief you the day after tomorrow. Now firstly where the hell is my coat and secondly where is Ianto?"

Gwen's eyes widened.

"I've no idea about your coat, but Ianto is down in your bunk, he's been staying at the Hub ever since you and Owen left. He's probably catching up on some sleep, it's been busy the last few days"

Jack froze. "He's been at work?"

Gwen nodded. "He insisted Jack. You know what he is like. I did convince him not to go out in the field, but he wanted to be here in case you made contact."

"Right. Thanks Gwen. Go and close the door behind you." He gestured and rather put out Gwen left the office.

Jack sucked in a steadying breath and climbed down into his bunk. He was rather stunned to find Ianto sound asleep tucked up on his bunk under the blankets and Jack's old coat, which was spread over the top of the bedding. The young man was sprawled on his belly a position Jack knew that Ianto hated, one arm poking out dangling over the side. He was breathing slowly, obviously deeply asleep a slight frown drawn across his forehead.

Jack dropped the canvas bag he had slung over his shoulder, he quietly stripped off the clothes he was wearing and padded into the bathroom for a shower.

Being clean again was just heavenly and when he came out of the bathroom towelling at wet hair Ianto was awake, sitting up on the bunk looking at him with a smile on his face.

"Pinch me, I must be dreaming."

Jack flung the towel aside and joined him on the bed. It was some considerable time later before either of them could speak coherently. They lay tangled up in Jack's bed covers, Ianto held tightly against Jack with Jack's long fingers running through his hair.

"What happened Jack, in South America, did you find anything out?" Ianto traced lazy lines with his fingers across Jack's smooth skin.

"Odessa have gone to ground. By the time we got out there, the whole place had shut down. There was nothing there, not a trace."

Ianto sat up and looked down into Jack's face.

"They can't have just disappeared."

"Well they have. But I did catch up with Peter Weis and retrieve the staff of Bastet." Jack was sounding pleased and this confused Ianto no end.

"Jack that was hardly a priority. So what happens now?"

Jack traced his fingertips along Ianto's jaw. "The FBI are looking into Odessa or what ever they are going to call themselves now. It's out of our hands; they are going to work with UNIT. I've told them we won't get involved, not our remit really."

"You had no interest in Odessa at all did you?"

"You're quite right. I wanted to get Peter Weis and the staff."

"Why?"

Jack pulled him down and kissed his forehead. Ianto was smiling at the tenderness of the gesture.

"Jack?"

Jack cupped his face with both hands so that Ianto had no choice but to look straight at him.

"I did it for you."

"I don't understand."

Jack clambered off the bed and retrieved the pack he had dumped on the floor earlier. Bag in hand he settled himself back down beside Ianto and pulled out a cloth from the bag. He carefully unfolded the tattered fabric and Ianto watched apprehensively as Jack revealed a gold amulet that had been threaded on a thick gold chain that looked rather like rope. Jack held up the jewel to the light. It was a simple thing, a small gold cat with collar of hieroglyphs carved about its neck. Ianto stared at it.

"I still don't understand Jack."

Jack gave him an earnest look. "This can make you immortal Ianto. Osiran charms bestow their wearers with longevity and protection from ill health and aging."

Ianto looked from the gold cat to Jack comprehending, finally. "Oh no Jack." He backed off, pulling the sheet to his chest. "No Jack. That thing….I mean….how did you get it away from Peter Weis, is he still alive?"

Jack's hand dropped and he sighed. "Ianto, I offer you this and all you can do….."

"Jack did you kill him for this?"

Jack nodded. "Ianto. I was going to kill him anyway. I had to, you know that."

Ianto lurched to his feet and began searching around for his clothes. "So the immortality only works if the person is wearing that thing?"

Jack nodded looking back at it with a degree of lust in his eyes. Ianto did not fail to notice.

"Don't ask me to put that on Jack. It's bad!" He pulled on his clothes as he found them.

"Ianto. I just us want us to be together. I don't want to lose you, this way we can have all the time…."

Ianto froze and gaped at him in horror. "At what cost Jack? You've already killed a man to obtain that thing. Peter Weis was probably just a nice archaeology student before he came into contact with it. I've looked into that thing Jack, there's nothing but a trail of corpses in its wake. It should be locked up in the secure archives never to see the light of day again."

Jack threw him a desperate look. "Ianto you are better than that. You could do so much good, I know you."

Ianto felt his heart break; he sagged down on the bunk next to Jack. "Don't ask me to do this Jack, please don't ask me. Right now I am happy with who I am for the first time in my whole life. If I put that thing on I will change. I might not love you anymore. I might become bad. You might stop loving me. I don't want that to happen."

"Please, Ianto. I do not want to lose you."

Ianto took his hands careful to make sure that he did not touch the necklace still grasped in Jack's fingers. He leaned forward and kissed Jack's forehead, trying to pour all of his love into the moment.

"Jack, I put that thing on and Ianto Jones will cease to be. As I am now, that's the person you love, that's the person who will be there for you. That device is meant for an Osiran, not a human. Immortality comes with too high a price; you of all people should understand that. I love you so much Jack. I know how hard this is for you, but I cannot do what you ask. I am sorry."

Ianto had never been more frightened in his entire life as he waited for Jack to respond. Jack carefully pulled away from Ianto's hold and re-wrapped the amulet in the cloth. He handed it to Ianto.

"Lock it away and please don't tell me where. It's too tempting. I don't want to force this on you."

Ianto took it.

"I love you Jack."

He couldn't fail to notice the look of total betrayal in Jack's darkened eyes.

"Just go, take that thing away."

Ianto sighed reluctant to leave him, but he knew what he had to do.

An hour later and Ianto found Jack in his office writing up his report of the trip to Brazil. Ianto passed him a cup of coffee and Jack looked up with a guarded expression on his face. He took the cup.

"Are you angry with me?"

Ianto sat himself on the edge of the desk.

"You paid me the most beautiful compliment Jack. If I could spend eternity with you, then I would. It isn't about not trusting you. It's that device. If there were any to be sure that it was safe to use it I'd take it. I hate the thought of dying and leaving you behind because I know you will hurt. I also know that you will change and grow into a different person and some one else will love you the way that I do. I am not strong enough Jack. I don't want to do something that both of us will regret."

Jack grasped his hand and their fingers entwined.

"I'm sorry I put you through that."

"Don't be sorry Jack. It just helped to remind me how important each day is and how much I need to hold on."

"I just can't…" Jack faltered. "I feel so weak sometimes."

Ianto took hold of his chin forcing their eyes to meet. "You are the strongest person I know Jack. Whatever it is you are feeling you are not alone. You have the most the precious gift. You see all of creation through out time and I know one day you will die saving some world somewhere and you will not be alone. There will always be those that love you as I do, as Estelle did and you will carry all that love with you through out your life."

Jack finally managed a smile. "You always make everything seem brighter."

"Good. Can we go back to bed then?"

The Captain's smile widened, just a little.

_**Finis**_

**AN: This is a One Off but I will be writing a second part about the consequences of shutting down 'Odessa'. **

**NB: Chris Carter invented The Odessa organisation for his series 'Millennium'. It only featured in 2 episodes but they gave me the creeps, otherwise there is no connection to the series as these events are current day and the episodes for Millennium were broadcast in 1998. Torchwood's dealings with them will be the focus of the next 'Odessa' tale.**

**References to the Scarman brothers comes from Dr Who 'The Pyramids of Mars', which also featured in my story 'Retail and Rehabilitation'.**

**AS ALWAYS THANK YOU FOR READING :-)**


End file.
